Actor John Ratzenberger promotes manufacturing workshops in St. Petersburg

Without it, America wouldn't be such a strong player on the international stage, actor John Ratzenberger said.

Known for his long run as Cliff Clavin on the sitcom Cheers and as the only actor to have had a role in every Pixar film, Ratzenberger has traveled the country talking about the importance of training the younger generation to maintain the infrastructure set up by their parents.

He was at the Science and Technology Innovation Center on Tuesday to promote its new summer manufacturing workshops for teens, and highlight America's need for skilled workers and manufacturers.

The center, a nonprofit dedicated to preparing students for careers in the science and technology fields, will be offering the workshops for the first time to middle and high school students.

During the one-time, four-hour class, the students will learn the skills necessary to manufacture simple clocks, said Ted Astolfi, deputy director of the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is co-sponsoring the workshops with the center.

The sessions are designed not only to generate interest in the manufacturing field, but also to teach the students teamwork and efficiency.

"You can learn science and technology, but this is applying it to the manufacturing process," Astolfi said. "It's the making part that we're trying to promote."

The center will host five to seven of the free workshops this summer. Organizers hope that about 1,000 local students will participate.

Students can register online through mid July at http://www.FloridaMEP.org.

One day soon, Ratzenberger said, there won't be enough people with the skills to repair plane engines, fix an air conditioner or make the tools that engineers use to build computers.

That's why programs like these are so important.

"We've educated enough psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists," Ratzenberger said in an interview. "It's now time to educate the plumbers, electricians and welders."